Automobile wheel



Aug. 11, 1931. E..K. BAKER AUTOMOBILE WHEEL Filed Feb. 4.l 1924.

Patented Aug. 11, 1931 A -UN1TED STATES `RRLN K. fIaA'KRR,

, PATENT OFFICE OF oHIoAGfo,V ILLINOIS; AssIeNoR To MOTOR WHEELCORPORATION," or LANSING, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN AUTOMOBILEWHEEL Application filed February e, 1924. Serial No. $90,383.v

My invention relates generally to improvements in automobile wheels butrelates more particularly to improvements in automobile Wheels of themetal disc type.

Vheels of this type are very desirable from a number of standpoints. Forexample they can be made as a uniform product, presenting a smoothsurface that can be readily cleaned, and they are of `pleasing form.They 1g embody certain objectionable features, as

heretofore made. For example they produce a drumming noise when theautomobile is in operationwhich to many people is very annoying andwhich, while present in v the open, or touring car, is more pronouncedand objectionable in the closed type body. This drumming is set up orcaused by a constant and rapid movement of the wheel body which causesmetallic fatigue and which is golikely to cause premature breakage ofthe Wheel.

It is an obj ect of my invention to provide a metal disc wheelconstruction whereby all of the advantages of the disc wheel can be retained and its present objectionable features overcome.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a metal disc wheelconstruction which shall be adapted for both front and rear 301; wheels,whether they are provided with brake drumsor not.

Again I aim to provide a construction whereby the driving connectionbetween the drive shaft or aXle and the wheel shell be improved and thestrains upon the fastening devices relieved.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved construction ofthe type mentioned which can be produced cheaply,

easily and at low cost, which can be assembled without difliculty andwhich shall be durable in use.

My invention consists generally in a disc wheel construction of theform, arrangement,

Vshape, materials and in the coaction thereof whereby the above namedobjects, together with others that will appear hereinafter, are attainedand -my invention will be more readily understood lby reference l.to theaccompanying drawings which illustrate what I consider at the presenttime -to be thek preferred embodiment thereof.

In said drawings Fig, l isa vertical sectional Fig. '3 shows a frontWheel' construction" which does not embodyy a brakedrum.`

V Referring first to Fig'. 1, the numeral lV rep-` resents the lsteeringspindlewhich for my purpose may be considered as an axle.

thereon is a hub 2 which is provided with an annular flange 3 which iscut back las indi- Y cated `atl, thus forming a shoulder at'that point.VThe outer face 5 'of theL flange 3 is preferably curved and seatedagainst this' l view throughy a front wheel construction embodying myin-v vention, the frontV wheel beingprovided withl y Surf` rounding'theaXle land suitably mounted curved face is the brake ldrum 6. v Upontheouter face ofthe brake drum andconformed thereto is a disc 7 which ispreferably of substantially Iuiifor'm thickness'. `This disc mayV bemade of'va'rious materials of'a nonmetallic nature such, 'fore'xam'plaas rubberized fab-v` ric, asbestos fabric, libre, wood, laminated woodpressed to this form, etc. The function.

of thisdisc 7` will shortly appear.

` Upon the outer side ofv the'disc 7, and coni-vf'y forming thereto,isthewheel 8. Thev wheel, filler disc 7 and brake drum are allsecurelyfastenedto the flange 3 means ofa plurality Ofbolts 9 which 'passthrough aligned openings 10, ll and l2 respectively, in the wheel disc,filler disc and brake drum.

.This filler disc `7 performsseveral func tions. "It acts asar cushionfor the disc and'` prevents' the generation and transmission of` theannoying .drumming sounds before vre-v ferred to. It serves to supportor back up the wheel disc and thereby to prevent such constant flexingand vibratory movement as is likely to cause metallic fatigue andpremature breakage, and it serves to provide a friction drive betweenthe wheel disc and flange which, at least to a great extent, relievesthe strains imposed upon the connecting bolts 9. It will be understoodthat there is a great tendency to relative rotation of the wheel discand hubi flange in the frontwheel when the braking action'takes placeand'always in the rear wheel when driving as well-*as when applyingthebrakes. All ofthese advantages and characteristics have been attainedwithout bringing into the wheel structure any objectionable features.

In Fig. 2 the parts functioning as in Fig.

1 have been given corresponding reference characters. The onlydifference is that this is a construction wherein the axle l? throughthehub structure 2' causes rotation Vof the wheel when the axle la isrotated.

The structure shown in Fig. 3 differs from rA that shown in Fi'gsl and2, in that the brake drum is omitted and the hub flange 3 is somewhatextended to form a broad support for the disc` 7 which is.in directcontact therewith and which. servesin like manner to vperform theseveral desirable functions heretofore referred to.

The many advantages of my novel construction will now be understood bythose skilled'L in this art without further comment. I claim ,Y I l. Anautomobile wheel construction embodying therein, a metallic*v hub,Hangt-3 a brake drum seatedi'upon the outerA face there- Y of, saidbrake drum having a curved outer 4U surface, a metallic Wheel discspaced from the braledr'um b utha-ving its adjacent por.- tion curvedtoconform to the brake drum surfaceLa'disc of relatively soft materialinterposed between the wheel' disc and the 455 brake drum and meansfirmly securing the braker drum, wheel' and interposed disc to, thehubflange., p Y

21. An automobilewheel' construction em- ,bodyijng therein, a wheelformed of a single disc'having. anA outwardly cambered central portion,a hub barrel',l an'l outwardly cambered parte carried by thehubbarreland conformed' substantially to the-central portion,

of, the wheel disc but spaced therefrom, a i relatively thin flexibledisc interposed between the disc' and cambered part carried by thehubbarrel, and means for firmly clampinglthe parts together.

' 3; A demountabl'e wheelI construction embodying therein a` wheel diskcomposed of a single. Sheet of metal' the major body portio'nfof whichis formed as the segment of a sphere,l a hub having an integral flange,a brake drum carried by the flange and disposed'rearwardly of the diskto form a rearV support therefor and having a front face conforming tothe rear face of the disk.

4. A demountable wheel construction em.- bodying therein a wheel diskcomposed of a single sheet of metal the major body portion of which isformed as the segment of a In testimony whereof, I have hereuntoset- `myhand, this 26th lday of January, Y1924.

ERLE K. BAKER.

